Judge to rule in Aug. if health chief goes to trial for Flint deaths

Nick Lyon, left, director of Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, listens to defense attorney John Bursch as he delivers his closing argument during Lyon's preliminary examination on Wednesday, July 11, 2018, at Genesee County District Court in Flint, Mich. The head of Michigan's health department, Lyon, is charged with involuntary manslaughter and other crimes. He's accused of not timely alerting the public about a Legionnaires' disease outbreak in the Flint area in 2014 and 2015.(Photo: Jake May, The Flint Journal)

FLINT, Mich. — A judge has heard arguments over whether Michigan's health director should face trial in the deaths of two men during a Legionnaires' disease outbreak amid Flint's water crisis.

The attorney general's office says Nick Lyon failed to alert the public about the outbreak in a timely manner. Some experts have blamed the outbreak on Flint's water supply, which wasn't properly treated when it was pulled from the Flint River in 2014 and 2015.

Judge David Goggins heard arguments Wednesday about whether prosecutors have enough evidence to send Lyon to trial on involuntary manslaughter charges. Goggins said he expects to rule on Aug. 20. He has been sporadically hearing testimony since last fall.

Lyon denies wrongdoing. His lawyers say it would be a "grave mistake" to keep the case alive.